


Downtime

by BaronVonChop



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Poe ships FinnRey, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-04 13:15:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12771843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronVonChop/pseuds/BaronVonChop
Summary: Poe wants to help his friends Rey and Finn get the most out of their time off together.





	Downtime

When they weren’t preparing for their upcoming patrol, Poe Dameron and BB-8 spent their free time coming up with ideas for things Finn and Rey could do during their approaching time on D’Qar. They rarely visited the Resistance base on D’Qar: Finn was often off on missions, using his insider knowledge of the First Order to infiltrate their bases, while Rey trained with Luke Skywalker on Ach-to. Poe knew that it was all vital to the success of the Resistance, but he was especially glad for any opportunity for his friends to take a break together. The fact that Poe and BB-8 would get to see them before heading off on their patrol was an added bonus, and not one Poe intended to waste.

Poe had first gotten to know Rey while the two of them were spending a lot of time in the medbay with Finn. While Finn remained unconscious, there was not much for them to do except watch him and wait, but they both still spent a lot of their free time at his side. At first, they spoke mainly about Finn, talking about how he was doing and sharing their memories of him. Then they started to bond over their shared love of flying. When Finn awoke, he was pleasantly surprised to find his two closest friends discussing the merits of the newest X-Wings.

While Finn recovered from his injuries, his friends could easily visit him whenever they were on the base. But once Finn felt well enough to start going on missions, finding time to spend together became more difficult.

That was why Poe was looking forward to the next day: Finn and Rey were both due to arrive then, and would have two whole days together. Poe and BB-8 had to leave on a patrol a few hours after Finn and Rey’s arrival, but at least Poe would get to see his friends again. Poe saw it as a great opportunity for him to find something for his friends to do while on D’Qar.

Poe and BB-8 had been trading ideas. BB-8’s suggestions usually involved the four of them going on wild, improbable adventures, taking on Kylo Ren, Phasma, and Hux, and usually ended with the defeat of Supreme Leader Snoke and the overthrow of the First Order (often with BB-8 saving the day at the end).

BB-8 finished the latest incarnation of this thrilling saga while Poe helped some techs check over his X-Wing. Poe chuckled. “That’s a good suggestion, pal, but remember that fighting the First Order is already our day job. I was thinking Rey and Finn might do something a little less death-defying, if that’s okay with you.”

BB-8 replied with total support for whatever Poe came up with, though with some skepticism about whether it would be more fun than smashing the First Order.

Poe knew BB-8 cared about Finn and Rey, but the droid could not understand what Poe had seen pass between Rey and Finn while Finn was recovering. Both Poe and Rey had helped Finn with his physical therapy exercises, but Poe had noticed how Finn relaxed in Rey’s presence, the way he seemed to draw strength from her touch. Poe also noticed how Rey’s fingers lingered on Finn’s arms or back when she helped him through his routine, and how she lit up when Finn did extra well, which he always seemed to do when she was around. Poe tried to put it in a way that would make sense to BB-8.

“With Finn and Rey, it’s like… you know how sometimes a pilot and an astromech work together so well that, after a mission is over, they couldn’t tell you whose idea certain maneuvers were?”

BB-8 agreed instantly, and inquired whether Rey was the astromech, or Finn.

“That’s not quite it,” Poe said, smiling.

Poe looked up from his work when he heard Jessika Pava call, “Hey, Poe! How’s your bird looking? Ready to shoot down some First Order?”

“Always!” Poe replied, smiling.

Jess jogged over. “Glad to hear it! These T-70s are tough, but we sure do put them through a lot.”

Poe patted the side of his ship. “She’s never let me down, and she’s not going to.” He led Jess away from the ship so that they would be out of the way of the techs. “What brings you over here? You’ve still got some time off before you have to start getting ready for the mission.”

“I could say the same to you, Commander,” Jess pointed out. She put her hands on her hips and looked up at the fighters. “Spending time with the X-Wings helps calm me down before a mission. Don’t worry, I’ve got other things planned, too.”

“Anything fun?” Poe asked.

Jess laughed. “Mostly sleeping!” Seeing Poe’s reaction, she added, “You look disappointed. Is that too boring for you?”

Poe shook his head and smiled. “No, that’s not it. I was sort of hoping for some ideas for things to do around here.”

“Bored of D’Qar, Commander?”

“Finn and Rey are going to be on the base soon, and I’d like to find something they could do while they’re here.”

Jess perked up. “Yeah, those two could use a nice break! Let’s see... There’s a lovely forest east of here that’s a great place for hiking and camping. It’s only a few hours away by speeder.”

“That sounds nice!” Poe said.

“The weather’s great this time of year, and the leaves are starting to change colors. It’s really relaxing to walk the trails, listening to the sounds of animals around you, away from the bustle of the base.”

“How do you get there?”

“Let me see your datapad and I’ll mark in the coordinates.” Jess took Poe’s datapad from him and made some notes before handing it back.

“Thanks!” Poe told her, beaming.

* * *

That evening, Poe was eating dinner in the mess hall when Snap Wexley brought his tray over. “Mind if I join you?” Snap asked.

“Please do,” Poe replied, gesturing to the empty spot across the table from him.

Snap put down his tray and sat. “Gotta make the most of today’s dinner while we can. Tomorrow we’ll be eating dinner in our X-Wings, enjoying meal bars and food pellets.”

Poe pointed a utensil at Snap. “Hey, I happen to like meal bars and food pellets.”

Snap raised his hands in surrender. “Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t sign up to be an X-Wing pilot for the gourmet food.”

Poe laughed. “That’s a relief. If you had, I’m sure you’d be considering defecting by now.”

“Nah. I’m sure the First Order’s rations are even worse.”

They ate in silence for a bit, their minds on the day ahead.

Poe broke the silence. “Hey, Snap?”

“Hm?”

“You got any suggestions for things to do around here?”

Snap paused to think. “Like what?”

“Like something for Finn and Rey to do when they’re on D’Qar together.”

“Oh, I gotcha.” Snap nodded. “So you’ve noticed, too, huh?”

“It doesn’t have to be anything romantic,” Poe added, “Just something they can do together.”

Snap made a dismissive sound. “So no reservations at D’Qar’s finest restaurant, then? I’m sure the mess hall cooks will be disappointed.” He chuckled and thought for several moments, then snapped his fingers. “If I were them, I wouldn’t spend my time on-planet. Since Rey will have the _Millennium Falcon_ , I’d recommend taking a tour of the system. I’ve always wanted an opportunity to fly around in D’Qar’s ring, and it would be great to see the other planets and moons in the system.”

“Yeah, I like that,” Poe said. “Plus, who could pass up an opportunity to fly in the _Millennium Falcon_? I know it’s something I’ve been thinking about since I was a kid! If I were Rey, I don’t know how I’d ever leave it!”

Snap mock-gasped. “I thought your childhood dream was to fly X-Wings! How many times have you told us about setting up a pretend X-Wing cockpit in your closet?”

“I did that too,” Poe said, grinning. “But when friends came over, we flew the _Falcon_!”

They both laughed, and moved on to talking about other things.

* * *

After breakfast the next morning, Poe went to the Commander Center to check the latest reports on First Order deployments. Inside the Commander Center, officers and techs monitored displays, studied maps, and read messages. Poe plugged BB-8 into a console so that the droid could update its internal maps with the latest data. While the data uploaded, Poe accessed a nearby terminal checked the reports. He had to keep bringing his mind back to the task at hand, as he caught himself wondering which plan Rey and Finn would like better, camping in the forest or flying on a tour of the system.

One of the techs, Kaydel Ko Connix, came over. “Hi, Commander. You’re here early! Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Hi, Kaydel Ko. Thanks for the offer, but I think I’m all right. I wanted to take care of some things this morning so that I would have time to see Finn and Rey when they arrive later today.”

“The last I heard, they’re both on schedule to arrive soon,” Kaydel Ko said. “You’re leaving this afternoon, right?”

“Yeah, so I know I won’t have much time to spend with them, but I was hoping to at least be able to suggest something fun they could do together. Do you have any favorite things to do on-planet?”

Kaydel Ko’s eyes widened. “My absolute favorite thing is to go hoverboating on a lake that’s not very far from here. You can fish there, or explore a few islands, or just snooze on the boat while it drifts on the water.”

“Could you show me where it is?” Poe asked, taking out his datapad.

“Sure.” The lake turned out to be nearly in the opposite direction from the forest Jess had mentioned, which was a shame, because it meant that Rey and Finn would have to pick one or the other. Kaydel Ko added, “There’s a couple of hoverboats at a dock on the lake that you can sign out for recreation. Let me know if you’d like me to put Rey and Finn’s names on the schedule!”

“Will do! Thanks for the recommendation!” Poe said with a grateful smile.

“Hey, anytime!”

Poe headed for the door, checking some details on his datapad.

“Commander Dameron!” someone called. Poe turned and saw General Leia Organa waving him back. She chuckled. “In a hurry?”

“General Organa! I had just finished checking the latest reports, and I was about to head over to the landing pad…”

Leia raised her eyebrows. “Without your droid?”

Realization dawned on Poe and he looked over to where BB-8 was still plugged into a console. Poe hurried over to the droid and unplugged the cord. “Sorry, buddy!”

BB-8 gave Poe a series of beeps.

“Okay, I deserve that. I guess I kind of let my mind wander.”

Leia came over. “I think I have an idea for what’s got you distracted. Want my advice?”

“Sure,” Poe said, wondering what sort of advice the general would have for him.

“Step into my office,” Leia said, walking Poe and BB-8 to the small, sparsely-furnished room set aside for her. The base had a larger office for use when important guests came to visit, but Leia preferred doing most of her work in the smaller room.

“I know you’re leaving on a mission this afternoon,” she said. “Good hunting, and may the Force be with you.”

Poe nodded solemnly. “Thank you, General.”

Leia smiled. “Ready to take on the First Order again?”

“Most definitely,” Poe said, returning the smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll try to leave some for the other squadrons!”

Leia laughed quietly. “I don’t think you need to worry about that. There’s no shortage, that’s for sure.” She tapped the data terminal, which lit up. “I try to keep an eye on people’s schedules. I noticed that Rey and Finn are both returning to D’Qar today. It’s a rare opportunity, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Poe agreed. “They’ve both earned a rest.”

“I agree. And I’d be surprised if you weren’t already making plans for things they could do while they’re here.” She raised her eyebrows, and Poe nodded. “What have you come up with so far?”

“I talked a bit to Jess, Snap, and Kaydel Ko and they had some good ideas.” Poe leaned forward. “Jess recommended camping in a forest, Snap suggested taking the _Millennium Falcon_ on a tour of the system, and Kaydel Ko suggested hoverboating on a lake. I think those would all be good ways to take their minds off things and let them spend some time together.”

“Poe,” Leia said, her brown eyes gentle.

“Yeah?”

“They’re here for two days.”

“Well…” Poe paused. He realized that he had let himself get a little carried away with his plans. “That should still give them enough time to do a little camping or hoverboating, or to see a good chunk of the system. If I schedule it right, and they stick to an itinerary....” He trailed off when he saw the expression on Leia’s face. “No, you’re right. They’re here to relax.” He sighed. “I was hoping to maybe…” He wondered how to put it. “They both seem very fond of each other,” he said, feeling his face get warm.

To Poe’s surprise, Leia laughed. “Well, if you had gone with the plan involving the _Falcon_ , it wouldn’t have been the first time that ship was used to help jumpstart a romance.”

Poe brightened. “So maybe that’s the way to go?”

Leia waved a hand, blowing out a dismissive breath. “Nah. It wasn’t that good of an idea.” She gave Poe a serious look. “I can tell this is something that means a lot to you, but are you sure that it’s something that Rey and Finn want, too?”

Poe started to reply, then thought about it. He felt sure that Finn and Rey’s feelings could develop into love, given the opportunity. What he was less sure about was how to create that opportunity.

Leia’s voice was quiet. “I think it’s possible that the two of them could end up together. Likely, even. But you can’t force something like that, even with the best of intentions.”

“Of course, you’re right.” Poe frowned, feeling self-conscious about talking to the leader of the Resistance about his friends’ love lives.

“I know you care about them, but you have to remember, it wasn’t so long ago that Finn was a stormtrooper in the First Order, and Rey was a scavenger struggling to survive. I don’t think either of them has much experience with relationships, so it’s that much more important to let them take things at their own pace.”

“So maybe…” Poe thought about the options. “They could start by watching a holovid together?”

Leia beamed. “That’s perfect.”

* * *

The _Millennium Falcon_ arrived shortly after Finn’s transport. Rey hurried down the ramp before it even finished lowering, and practically ran over to where Poe, Finn, and BB-8 waited for her.

Once everyone had embraced everyone else, Poe told them that he had reserved a few hours in a recreation room with a holovid viewer.

“Oh, that sounds lovely,” Rey said with a sigh. “With all the meditation Luke has me doing, it’ll be good to zone out to something other the vastness of the galaxy within my own heartbeats.”

Finn laughed. “Plus, the sequel to _My Best Friend is a Rancor_ is out!”

Rey made a face. “My best friend is a what?”

“It’s about a girl who finds a baby rancor, and she takes it home it as a pet. She has to keep her parents from finding out about it.”

Poe had heard of the movie, but he hadn’t seen it. “And now there’s a sequel?”

Finn hesitated. “I haven’t actually seen either one yet, but… I heard that, in the sequel, the rancor joins the girl’s school grav-ball team.”

Rey’s face lit up. “That sounds amazing!”

Poe smiled. “I think I sense a double feature coming up!”

The holovid room was not very impressive when Poe compared it the ideas he had heard from Jess, Snap, and Kaydel Ko. The room barely had room for a couch, a table for food and drinks, and the holovid console. They settled onto the couch and Poe started the holo.

As the holo played, Rey and Finn gasped at the baby rancor’s cuteness and laughed at the misadventures it inadvertently caused. Perhaps it wasn’t as exciting as going camping or travelling in a starship, but Rey and Finn were relaxed and having fun.

When Poe got up to leave for his mission, he saw that Rey and Finn were holding hands. With a smile, he decided that perhaps this was just what they had needed.


End file.
